


Coming to Terms

by Manthor



Category: none applicable
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:00:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25389424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Manthor/pseuds/Manthor
Summary: A man takes a moment to come to terms with a tragedy.
Comments: 1





	Coming to Terms

For a brief, yet inescapable moment, I did not exist. There was an emptiness around me, one that felt so close and yet so far, and when I reached out to touch it, it shied away. When I started existing again, I realized time around me had fallen still. The hands on the clock stopped ticking, yet I remained able to move- even if my body didn’t. It laid there, on the ground, unmoving and cold. A wave of grief washed over me at the sight of it, but I paid it no mind more than I needed to and turned away. I stepped past the man standing in our front door, eyes wide with horror at what just transpired, and out onto the cold cobblestone path that bit into my feet. I walked through the grass of our patchy front lawn, past the men in uniforms forever running, and onto the road where cars with brilliant red and blue lights shone brightly. 

Standing there was a man, dressed as cool as he could be and chewing a nail. He pressed his back to his car, one leg overlapping the other, balancing on his heels.

  
“Ready to go?” he asked.  
“Go where?” I asked back. All he could offer was a shrug. I paused for a moment, thinking of another question.  
“Are you--?” I started, but he cut me off with a curt nod. My shoulders suddenly felt heavy, and I felt my heart sink. I swallowed hard, trying to think of something else to say, but he was quicker on the draw.

“Do you need a moment?” he asked in a kind tone, and all I could do was nod. He simply pointed down the street, and without another word I began walking. I walked past the familiar houses of my neighborhood, and down past the gas station that led into the open highway. I walked around cars, streaking lights stuck in time, past those who heard the noise but never saw it, and onto lawns and into houses. It was startling to see those doing their usual routine, but at the same time I wasn’t surprised. The farther I walked from the epicenter, the less and less people seemed to know.

I don’t know how I ended up back in front of him, as I swore I only kept walking away and never went back, but it didn’t matter.

“How was it?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” I replied. 

“What did you see?”

“Normalcy, I guess.”

“Are you surprised?”

“I can’t say that I am.” He thought about this for a moment before pushing off from his car, walking around to get into the driver's seat. I got in on the passengers side.  
“Anything you want to do before we go? Anything you gotta see?” 

“No. I’d… rather not dwell, if that’s okay with you.” He seemed just a little surprised by this as he started the car.

“Really? You’ve got plenty of time.” 

I laughed. “No I don’t. I ran out the moment I opened the door.” He nodded, putting the car in gear and rolling down the street.

“Do you really not know where we’re going?” I asked.

“Not a clue,” he replied, and somehow this answer comforted me.


End file.
